The late IKEA founder had a secret vault to ensure his furniture chain would 'live forever'

Ingvar Kamprad is said to have made plans in 1976 to ensure the future of Ikea in case of his death

The results are a holding structure made so complex that outsiders would not understand it.

This structure, Kamprad hoped, would let Ikea live on even in times of war or political turmoil.

Parts of it are said to be hidden in a vault.

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When Ingvar Kamprad died in January this year he had meticulously planned for the continued survival of the furniture company he founded as a 17-year-old in 1943 in Småland, Sweden.

During his 75 years of leadership, Ikea grew into one of Sweden’s largest companies, with hundred of stores worldwide, almost 200 000 employees, and an annual turnover topping 35 billion euros.

According to his sons, Ingvar Kamprad’s planning for Ikea’s future without him began in 1976 when he set in motion an effort to transform Ikea’s holding structure.

For instance, the name, concepts and brands are owned by Inter Ikea Systems BV, which in turn is owned by a holding company, which in turn is owned by a foundation based in Lichtenstein. Most of the stores - the hardware of Ikea - are instead owned by a Dutch foundation, INGKA Holding B.V.

The goal of the setup of the Ikea Group was for it to be so complex that outsiders would not understand it.

”The last lawyer working on it does now know what the first one worked out”, the author, and friend of Ingvar Kamprad, Bertil Torekull wrote in his book 'Historien om Ikea', first published in 1998.

According to the Swedish newspaper Expressen, parts of the plans are kept in a vault.

The reason behind the complexity was to make sure that Ingvar Kamprad’s creation would survive wars, political upheaval, or just plain old executive incompetence. At least according to himself. Others have said that he did it for tax reasons.

”I hope that when Ikea’s construction regarding ownership and power later will be described, that it will be clear that we have built in mechanisms that are positive for the whole company,” Ingvar Kamprad said in Bertil Torekulls book, adding that another reason was to safeguard Ikea’s Swedish, and Smålandian, heritage.

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In 1976, Ingvar Kamprad also put in some efforts to ensure the spiritual and cultural survival of Ikea by pubishing the text 'A Testament of a Furniture Dealer', in which he outlines nine theses regarding discipline, frugality and simplicity that he wanted to guide his furniture company.